Rovers v Barnsley

Rovers found their goalscoring touch as they registered their first win of the season with a 5-2 victory over Barnsley at Ewood Park.

Against the run of play Barnsley stunned Rovers by taking a 13th minute lead, Chris Dagnall's strike deflecting into the corner of the goal.

However after Jean-Yves M'Voto was red-carded for a push on Jordan Rhodes, Rovers took full advantage with four first half goals to turn the game.

Tom Cairney curled home the resulting free-kick before Jordan Rhodes got amongst the goals with a header and then a fine lob. The final act of the half saw Josh King grab his first of the season, arriving to score at the back post.

Todd Kane made it 5-1 just before the hour mark, but to their credit Barnsley kept going and deserved their consolation goal of Tomasz Cywka's late strike.

Gary Bowyer's Rovers are up and running, they face Bolton Wanderers at Ewood Park next Saturday.

Rovers made just the one change from the side that slipped to defeat at Doncaster last time out.

Joshua King getting the nod ahead of Chris Taylor with the former Millwall man dropping to the bench.

The visitors also made one change as Kelvin Etuhu, brother of Rovers' Dickson, replaced David Perkins.

Rovers set the tone early on as play was firmly centred around the Barnsley penalty box, widemen Josh King and Alan Judge having early joy.

So it was somewhat of a surprise when the visitors took the lead on 13 minutes. Forward Chris Dagnall trying his luck from distance, the ball taking a slight deflection as it slowly rolled past the unsighted Jake Kean and into the corner of the net.

Rovers immediately went about getting back on level terms and when Jason Lowe sent Jordan Rhodes through on goal it seemed certain that the striker would open his account for the season only for him to be upended by Barnsley defender Jean-Yves M'Voto. Referee Mark Heywood had no option but to send off the central defender as Rhodes was the last man.

Tom Cairney and Alan Judge stood over the free-kick on the edge of the box and it was Cairney who took the honours, curling a sublime free-kick over the wall and into the top right-hand corner of the goal.

With their tails up Rovers went in search of the lead, a Jason Lowe shot stuck the face of Scott Wiseman from close-range, the Barnsley man knowing little about his block.

Then the lively Josh King got the better of his man to shoot across goal but the ball went a yard wide of the far post.

With Rovers camped in the Barnsley half a second goal duly arrived just before the half hour. Patient build-up from the home side saw Alan Judge find Todd Kane and his deep cross to the far post was superbly headed home by Jordan Rhodes.

Ten minutes later and Rhodes would be celebrating his second goal of the season, and of the match. An inch-perfect ball out from defence by Scott Dann saw the striker race towards the edge of the area before coolly lifting the ball over the advancing Luke Steele and into the back of the net.

There was still time for a fourth first half goal from Rovers as Josh King capped a fine first half with his first goal of the season. David Dunn sending Todd Kane away on the overlap but whilst his centre was just too far in front of the stretching Rhodes, King made no mistake as he arrived at the far post.

It was a sensational end to a thoroughly entertaining first half of football.

To their credit Barnsley came out with renewed enthusiasm at the start of the second half. New signing Marcus Pedersen causing early problems for the Rovers defence but Grant Hanley and Scott Dann both closed out the Norwegian forward.

Rovers had posed little threat in the final third but all that was to change when Todd Kane scored his first professional goal on 58 minutes.

David Dunn again sent the loan man away down the right this time the Chelsea man chose to cut inside to shoot, the effort was well hit but Barnsley goalkeeper Luke Steele will have been disappointed to allow the ball to bounce off his hand and into the back of the net.

David Dunn stung the gloves of Steele, whilst Alan Judge fired just wide with a shot from outside the box as Rovers looked for further goals.

Rovers then had strong claims for a penalty waved away when a cross from Tom Cairney was met by the head of Scott Dann, his header struck the arm of Pedersen but the Barnsley man knew little about it.

A seventh goal soon followed but it was Barnsley who grabbed their second of the game with a well work moved that was finished well. A ball into the lively Pedersen was laid back to fellow substitute Tomasz Cywka and he planted it firmly past Jake Kean.

Both sides had opportunities to add to the goal tally as the game entered it's final stages, David Perkins firing just wide before Fabio Nunes and Chris Taylor saw opportunities snubbed out.

So Rovers are off and running with their first win of the campaign, they'll be looking for another three points at home to Bolton Wanderers next Saturday.